Smoking banned on all New York City parks and beaches

New Yorkers told to take their cigarette-smoking activity outside may not be able to do that anymore.

Earlier this week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that all of Manhattan's parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas will be designated smoke-free in an effort to improve the city's cleanliness and people's quality of life.

"Our parks, beaches and plazas serve as havens where New Yorkers can escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, and they are a big part of what makes our city so great," said Bloomberg. "We all know that smoking is deadly, but second-hand smoke poses a similarly grave danger to public health. [This] is an important step toward making our city healthier."

According to the mayor's office, the rate of smoking in New York City has dropped nearly 30 percent between 2002 and 2009, and smoking-related deaths have declined almost 20 percent over the past 10 years.

Employers take smoking into account when dealing with health insurance for their employees, some of them requiring smokers to pay higher premiums.